The trend in power requirements for microprocessor loads and other microelectronic load circuitry is to use lower voltages at higher currents, approaching 1.0 Vdc to 1.5 Vdc and in excess of 100 amperes, respectively. This low voltage, high current power requirement trend is based on implementing new technologies, such as in wafer fabrication for new microprocessor logic circuitry, which will have increased chip sizes, gate count and clock frequency. Presently, voltage and current power requirements for microprocessor logic circuitry are such that they can be met by directly inputting the supply logic voltage, by example, 3 Vdc at tens of amperes, directly to a plurality of pins designated for receiving the supply logic voltage at the high currents directly for use by the microprocessor loads. FIGS. 1 and 2 collectively show a microprocessor chip, according to the prior art manner of supplying the supply logic voltage and current directly to the microprocessor load from electrical connectors and conductor patterns provided on printed wiring boards (PWB). The prior art method of supplying the logic voltages directly results in having input pins rated for high currents, wide circuit land patterns that have high power dissipation in the form of IR drops, the high density of land patterns carrying the large amount of current in parallel. In addition, the relatively large effective inductance (long distances), result in Ldi/dt concerns as sources for rf transmission (noise) that impact data integrity. As indicated above, the power dissipation forecast indicates that future generations of microprocessor chips will be larger in size, exhibiting higher gate count, faster clock frequencies and decreasing operational voltage. Projected voltage and current requirements indicate operational voltages in the range of 0.75 Vdc to 1.5 Vdc at 100 w (100 amps) of power. The practicality of supplying the operational power to future generations of microprocessors is not favorable considering the known reliability problems associated with multiple wiring paths, IR drop, high inductance, Ldi/dt considerations, bus width (IC circuit lands), and the quantity of lines being switched, and faster clock frequencies. To applicant's knowledge there are no known microprocessor topologies that are addressing the low voltage distribution problem by incorporating on-board voltage converters, (i.e. within the chip or module), to alleviate the problem associated with supplying the operational voltage directly to the microprocessor.
Accordingly, a need is seen to exist for an integrated circuit device, such as a microprocessor integrated circuit device, that is rated for receiving an input voltage that is higher than the device's operational voltage, and that is provided with a plurality of voltage converters that convert the high input voltage to the lower operational voltage for delivery to selected load groups of the integrated circuit device.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a microprocessor integrated circuit device, that is rated for receiving an input voltage that is higher than the device's operational voltage, and that is provided with a plurality of voltage converters that convert the high input voltage to the lower operational voltage for delivery to selected load groups of the integrated circuit device.